Honda WR-V (Jazz-based crossover)

I have not seen a WR-V or a new Fit on the roads yet. Seen a lot of the Tiggo 4 Pro, Magnite, Venue, Urban Cruiser, etc.
Same here.
Tiggo 4 starts at R274 900
Magnite R282 000
Venue R266 500
Urban Cruiser R272 200
The Honda WR-V starts at R309 900, Honda is being grossly incompetent.
 
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2023 Honda WR-V Revealed

Meet the 2023 Honda WR-V, another pint-sized city SUV that should be cheap to buy and run.

The new Honda WR-V will be positioned against other pocket-friendly baby SUVs like the Nissan Magnite, Kia Sonet, Renault Kiger and Toyota/Suzuki Urban Cruiser/Vitara Brezza. It’s got a fresh and modern look, with wraparound headlamps at the front and a coupe SUV shape with a typical tapered roofline.

First launched in SA back in November 2020, the Honda WR-V offered a Jazz-based platform and good value. Now, there’s a new model.

Physically, the new 2023 Honda WR-V is 4 060 mm long, has a wheelbase of 2 485 mm, a width of 1 780 mm and a ground clearance of 220 mm. A boot capacity of 380 litres is claimed. There is also a 60:40 splitting rear folding seat for additional practicality.

Under the bonnet is a 1.5-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine, developing 89 kW and 145 Nm. This engine is paired to a new CVT that’s claimed to offer enhanced acceleration and improved economy. This powertrain is identical to the one found in the new Honda BR-V.


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Nice, any idea yet on South African pricing?
 
Mmmm, if I were to bu a new car, I might just go for this. Nice. Better than the earlier pictures.
 
New Honda WR-V revealed in Indonesia, with sharper design, bigger engine

The second-generation Honda WR-V has been revealed in Indonesia, and it’s got more attitude than its Jazz-based predecessor, in more ways than one.

For starters, the new compact SUV boasts a sharper design inspired by the Honda Concept RS as well as the latest-generation Honda HR-V. It’s now available in an RS variant too, which comes with more purposeful looking 17-inch alloy wheels, and Honda has also raised the ground clearance to an impressive 220mm.

Architecturally the new WR-V appears to be related to the latest BR-V crossover and Amaze sedan, and with a length of 4 060mm and width of 1 780mm, it is slightly larger than the current WR-V. Boot space is up from 363 litres to 380 litres, according to Honda.

Things have also improved somewhat beneath the bonnet, at least in the case of the Indonesian-spec Honda WR-V, which comes with Honda’s familiar normally aspirated 1.5-litre petrol engine that produces 89kW and 145Nm. The current WR-V is only sold with a 1.2-litre normally aspirated engine, which is not sufficient to shift its weight around, but perhaps the larger 1.5 is just what its compact body shell needs.

We’re currently awaiting confirmation on whether the new WR-V is heading to South Africa, so it’s too early to speculate on what kind of specification our model would have.

 
Honda Elevate (2024) Price & Specs

The new Honda Elevate has yet to officially hit the market in South Africa, but we’ve managed to unearth local pricing. Here’s how much you’ll pay for what will effectively replace the WR-V…

The new Honda Elevate was recently confirmed for South Africa. Now, ahead of this fresh-faced crossover’s official market launch, Cars.co.za has unearthed local pricing.

In addition, we’re reliably told that the new Elevate – which is set to enjoy its local market launch on 23 February 2024 – will effectively replace the WR-V in Honda Southern Africa’s range. For the record, just a single unit of the WR-V (which launched here in November 2020) was registered in SA in January 2024, suggesting local stock has already virtually run dry.

So, how much will this new crossover cost you in Mzansi? Well, according to our information, the local Honda Elevate range will comprise just 2 derivatives at launch. The line-up will kick off with the Elevate 1.5 Comfort, priced at R369 900 – that’s R27 400 above the entry-level Toyota Urban Cruiser (R342 500) – and fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard.

For those not keen on rowing their own gears, the Japanese firm’s local division will also offer the Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT, which is set to come in at R429 900. This variant, of course, will employ a continuously variable transmission rather than a manual cog-swapper.

How much does the Honda Elevate cost in South Africa?

Honda Elevate 1.5 Comfort – R369 900

Honda Elevate 1.5 Elegance CVT – R429 900

We expect the new Elevate to ship with a 5-year/200 000 km warranty and a 4-year/60 000 km service plan (with intervals of 15 000 km).

 
Honda WR-V (2020-2024) Buyer’s Guide

The Honda WR-V was on the South African new-vehicle market for a little over 3 years. Should you consider a used example of this small crossover, or would it be best to look elsewhere? Let’s investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the Japanese offering…

Conceived specifically for developing markets, the Honda WR-V was the Minato-based brand’s attempt to capitalise on the small-crossover craze. Interestingly, South Africa missed out on the pre-facelift version, which meant this nameplate was on the local market for about 3 years only.

The WR-V was, of course, closely related to the 3rd-gen Jazz. It shared the GK-series hatchback’s basic bodyshell, although it gained not only a model-specific face but also the requisite SUV-inspired styling bits, from swathes of black-plastic cladding to faux skidplates, roof rails and extra ride height.

In short, it was effectively a crossover version of the Jazz, now known as the Fit. Like its hatchback sibling, the SA-spec WR-V – which its maker said stood for “Winsome Runabout Vehicle” – was sourced from Honda’s Tapukara factory in Rajasthan, India, and measured a fraction under 4 metres long.

When the GL-series WR-V officially landed in Mzansi, Honda Motor Southern Africa boldly declared that it would “shake up” the segment, adding that it was “certain to be a winning formula”. Local buyers seemingly felt otherwise, with the WR-V failing to trouble the segment sales leaders.

 
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